Gr 3-7 Strange things are afoot at H.G. Wells Middle School in the days leading up to the mandatory exam that determines entrance to the prestigious Pruitt Prep. First, sixth-grader Mars Patel's friend Aurora disappears without a trace. Then Oliver Pruitt, the Steve Jobslike inventor and founder of Pruitt Prep, announces on his podcast, "Something BIG is going to happen." The next thing he knows, Mars is hiding in the janitor's closet during a Code Red lockdown. Undeterred by his mother's pleas that he behave and his principal's threats of expulsion, Mars and his friends embark on a quest to find their missing friend and get to the bottom of the enigma that is Oliver Pruitt. Interweaving podcast transcripts, instant message threads, emails and newspaper stories, Chari deftly constructs a mystery that is strong in both plot and character. Mars's friend group is as diverse as their unique abilities, and their teamwork and loyalty are unshakable. VERDICT Based on the Peabody Awardwinning podcast, fans of James Dashner's The Maze Runner and Stranger Things will clamor for more of Mars Patel. Dana West, Roosevelt H.S., Seattle

Based on the serialized mystery podcast of the same name, this novel follows the adventures of 11-year-old Manu "Mars" Patel and his buddies as they attempt to find Aurora Gershowitz and Jonas Hopkins, two of their missing friends.When Aurora inexplicably is incommunicado for five days, Mars worries that something is amiss. But when Jonas does not return from an emergency trip to the restroom, Mars and his pals (and fellow delinquents)-the strong JP McGowan, the extremely smart Randall "Toothpick" Lee, and the psychic Caddie Pratchett-realize that they're the only ones who are willing to admit that children in the Puget Sound area are going missing. As they pursue the mystery, the friends figure out that children have actually been going missing from around the world, and they begin to suspect brilliant billionaire Oliver Pruitt (who is vaguely reminiscent of Elon Musk) is the culprit. Transcripts from Pruitt's podcast are interspersed throughout the text, offering clues to ardent listener Mars. Better-developed characters and a tighter narrative-especially in the first half of the novel-would have made for a more memorable and gripping read, especially given the intriguing plot points. The cliffhanger ending might result in fans anxiously awaiting what comes next. Some characters' identities bring diversity to the cast-Mars is Indian; nonbinary JP uses the pronouns they/them.Despite the exciting premise, an unexceptional SF mystery. (Science fiction. 10-13)